semester

1 of 2

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈme-stər 

1

: either of the two usually 18-week periods of instruction into which an academic year is often divided

2

: a period of six months

semestral

sə-ˈme-strəl 

adjective

or semestrial

sə-ˈme-strē-əl 

semestral

2 of 2

adjective

se·​mes·​tral -strəl 

variants or semestrial

-ˌtrēəl 

: occurring every six months or within a period of six months : of or relating to a six-month period

Examples of semester in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

During her second semester at Smith College, a student quoted the N-word in a Civil War class while attempting to connect to Pryor’s lecture. —Marybeth Gasman, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026

Faculty and staff will begin moving into the new building this summer, with students in the classrooms this fall semester. —Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 19 June 2026

Carrera can now only afford to take only one or two classes a semester after his in-state tuition was repealed. —Natalia Jaramillo, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2026

Through late nights and long semesters, Ren never left his side. —Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 18 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

German, from Latin semestris half-yearly, from sex six + mensis month — more at six, moon

Adjective

Latin semestris half-yearly + English -al or -ial

First Known Use

Noun

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing semester

• semester hour

Rhymes for semester

• ancestor
• arrester
• digester
• investor
• protester
• requester
• sequester
• silvester
• trimester
• ester
• esther
• fester

Kids Definition

semester

noun

se·​mes·​ter sə-ˈmes-tər 

: either of two terms of about 18 weeks each that make up a school year